FAQ
- Point of Sale FAQs
- General FAQs (Free/Reduced Lunch, What’s Included with Lunch, Allergies, Catering)
Point of Sale FAQs
Food and Nutrition Services Cafeteria Account
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a cafeteria account for my child? Every student in the Tredyffrin Easttown School District has a cafeteria account, there is nothing a parent/guardian needs to do to set up the account. Allergy information and parent restrictions appear as alerts in the system. If you want to restrict your child’s account, please email Mita Barot at barotm@tesd.net.
Is a SchoolCafé account the same as the cafeteria account? No. SchoolCafé is a 3rd party vendor added as a convenience for parents/guardians. SchoolCafé is free to sign-up and has several features that are available at no charge such as the Free/Reduced meal application, monitoring what your student is purchasing at the cafeteria, email low balance notifications and checking cafeteria balances.
How do I make a payment to my child’s cafeteria account?
The cafeteria system is a debit system and parent’s are expected to maintain appositive balance in their child’s account. You may pay online via credit or debit card through www.schoolcafe.com . There is a transaction fee when using SchoolCafe, however you can avoid the transaction fee by paying by check (preferred) or cash. Check should be made out to “TESD Caf Fund”, please place your child’s name and grade in the memo section. Payments are turned in at homeroom for elementary students and at the cashier for secondary schools.
I have children in 3 different schools within TESD, can I send in one check?
No. Please send in a separate check for each student to turn in the cafeteria in the school they attend. The cafeteria is unable to enter payments for a student at a different school. If you have children at the same school you may write one check and note the distribution in the memo section of the check.
How do I sign-up for Schoolcafe? The following link will explain the steps to sign-up for SchoolCafe. https://www.tesd.net/Page/15624
What is a pin number and how does my child get one?
A pin numbers is unique to every student. It identifies the purchases made by each student in the cafeteria system. The pin number remains the same till graduation or till the student leaves the school district whichever comes first. The pin number is emailed or mailed to every household in the school district in August of each year.
This is the first day at school, how does lunch time work?
At lunch students form a line and go through the cafeteria getting their lunch and stop at the register to put in their pin number at the pin pad. The pin number is emailed to every household in the district before school begins. The pin number is different from the Student ID and is used for the cafeteria only. Cafeteria staff can look up your child’s pin if they forget and they will always be able to get lunch.
My Child owes money on their cafeteria account or has no money in their account, will they be able to buy breakfast and lunch?
Yes. Every student can purchase a breakfast meal or lunch meal, or both regardless of cafeteria balance. No student is refused a meal. If your child owes more than $50.00 they will not be permitted to buy ala carte items, but can still purchase a meal.
My student was refused snacks, or Alacarte items at the cafeteria. What needs to be done to correct this?
If your student has a restriction in place put by a parent that allows meals only or owes more than $50 at the cafeteria, they will not be allowed to purchase snacks or alacarte items.
How can I place or remove a restriction on the cafeteria account?
Please email Mita Barot at barotm@tesd.net with the restriction you want to place or remove on your child’s account. Please be aware that all restrictions placed by a parent will remain there till they are removed. A restriction placed in Elementary school will continue to be there through high school if you do not email or write to have it removed.
How can I transfer money in the cafeteria account between my children?
Please email Mita Barot at barotm@tesd.net with the amount you want transferred from one child to another.
How do I get a refund on the cafeteria account?
Please email barotm@tesd.net . Please allow 2-4 weeks for a refund check to be mailed to you. Should you have a SchoolCafé account set on Autopay, please disable the Autopay feature before emailing for the refund. Cash refunds are not given to students at the cafeteria. Senior’s remaining balances are either transferred to siblings or refunded. If you would like to donate the remaining balance to a student of need, please email Mita Barot.
General FAQs (Free/Reduced Lunch, What’s Included with Lunch, Allergies, Catering)
How do I apply for Free/reduced meals?
The following link will take you to the procedure to follow for free and reduced meal applications. If you have received a letter in the current year (after July 1st) “NOTIFICATION OF APPROVAL FOR DIRECT CERTIFICATION”, you do not need to complete an application. https://www.tesd.net/Page/132
What is a lunch meal? What is a breakfast meal?
The link that follows will explain what is included with a lunch and breakfast meal. https://www.tesd.net/Page/7498
Where can I find an allergen and carbs list for cafeteria items?
https://www.tesd.net/Page/136
My child has Celiac disease what can they buy at lunch? Parents of students with Celiac are urged to call to set-up an appointment with the Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor, Dave Preston at 610-240-1955 or prestond@tesd.net to meet to discuss the options and procedures for ordering gluten free lunch.
How do I cater an event?
Please contact your cafeteria manager and fill out a catering request form, or Pizza bingo or Ice cream social form depending on your requirements. Please email the filled-out form to the cafeteria manager and barotm@tesd.net. Please do not convert the form to PDF as we use this for billing purposes.